


Doctor Strange & the Anomaly

by daydreamtofiction



Series: Anomaly [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action, Drama, F/M, Marvel Universe, Original Character(s), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Doctor Strange (2016), Post-Endgame, Sequel, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamtofiction/pseuds/daydreamtofiction
Summary: Sequel to 'Anomaly'.A dark energy is growing beneath an abandoned building in New York City. Not everyone who steps into it comes out alive. But the ones who do are changed forever.When the Changed Ones begin to wreak havoc on cities across the country, Doctor Stephen Strange finds himself in the midst of a war. A war that forces him to reveal a secret he has managed to keep hidden for almost two years.
Relationships: Stephen Strange/Original Character(s), Stephen Strange/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Anomaly [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033041
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	1. One • Underground

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second story in the Anomaly series.

The factory stood unoccupied for years, half-demolished, dangerous, yet somehow unassuming. It was the kind of building the citizens of New York City were used to seeing as they passed by, unsure of what it used to be, barely noticing its presence as it stood alone in the middle of a lot surrounded by chained fences and barbed wire.

Weeds and greenery escaped through cracks in the concrete, while unwanted furniture and bags of trash sat untouched, tossed over the fence and forgotten about like the building itself. It welcomed urban explorers, film students and teenagers looking for a place to drink and spray paint walls. There was a gap in the fence, just big enough for someone to squeeze through, a heavy metal door at the back of the old factory hanging off its hinges.

Inside, the cracked, crumbling walls were covered in graffiti and vines. Windows were boarded up, some broken, letting in slivers of light on the dust-filled hallways.

Spencer Wick wandered carefully over the heaps of rubble. He had a camera in his backpack and a torch in hand as he explored each dilapidated floor, taking photographs and recording his findings for his blog when suddenly, he heard something.

It was like a collection of voices, whispering intelligibly. It was genderless, language-less, yet somehow he found himself drawn towards it. He walked down towards the basement, climbing carefully down the broken concrete steps with his flashlight as his eyes. But as he turned a corner, another light illuminated the space.

Veins of purples and blues rippled in the air, like a cloud of moving tendrils surrounding a deep, black hole. But the hole was darker than black; a complete absence of light radiating a sense of dread, of evil. The whispering grew louder as he approached it, as if it were beckoning him closer, daring him to reach out and touch it.

He reached inside and his arm began to burn, as if the energy was burning the flesh from his bones as it climbed up to his shoulder and spread across his face. He let out a scream and pulled his arm out, dropping onto his back, his body convulsing against the hard, cold ground. 

*

A woman grabbed her two children and held them close, pressing their faces into her chest to shield their eyes. The man beside them clutched his seat, bracing for impact as the train jerked around a sharp bend.

Groups of passengers hurried to the windows, shouting and crying out as they laid eyes on the warped track up ahead. It had been lifted from the ground, skewed and bent like rubber as if it were being sucked into the air by a vacuum.

The horrified people watched on helplessly as they hurtled towards it. But suddenly, their panicked screams turned to gasps and murmurs as a ring of bright orange sparks began to materialised up ahead.

Doctor Strange glided out of the portal, his cloak guiding him smoothly through the air. He stopped, hovering near the broken track and examining the dimensional rift that had somehow torn through the atmosphere.

"Mm," he hummed deep in his throat, as if he were thinking, as if he was in no rush.

The screeching of metal caught his attention. He turned to see the train approaching fast, the driver's terrified face through the window.

He raised his hands and conjured a large portal, watching as the train disappeared into it and emerged moments later on the other side of the damage, continuing safely along the track.

"Well that's one problem down," he said to himself before turning back to the rift and cocking his head. "Now for you."

*

Stephen arrived at the sanctum, removing his cloak as he walked and watching as it soared away up the stairs. He pulled open the heavy door that led to Kamar Taj and stepped through.

"Was it a time tear like we thought?" asked Wong as he stood at the large stone table in the middle of the room. 

"Dimensional rift," he replied. "Fixed it."

"Yes, I can see that."

They both looked up at the glittering clusters of light floating above the table merging together to form an image of Earth, some lights brighter than others scattered across the planet.

Stephen walked through the temple, sharing nods with people as he passed. He stepped out onto the courtyard and leaned against a pillar to watch the training session - the amateur mystics trying to conjure magical weapons, duelling with sticks, practicing spells. In the corner of the courtyard, he saw her. She was standing still, eyes closed as a sorcerer circled her slowly.

Juno had trained with them every day since she arrived at Kamar Taj; using their practices to control her power and subdue the mind stone. After two years, her body was still a car. Yet now, she was always the one behind the wheel, the stone tucked away safely in the trunk. She opened one eye and glanced in his direction, as if she had sensed his presence the moment he arrived.

She walked through the busy courtyard towards him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she said.

"I was in the neighbourhood," he joked. "Thought I'd stop by."

"Ah." She nodded as she began to walk with him through the temple. "You've been working."

"Hm?"

She gestured to his hands.

He held them out in front of him, noticing the tremor that always got worse after he exerted himself. She stopped walking and took his hands in hers, wrapping them in a gentle glow until they calmed.

"I swear I didn't come here to get you to do that," he said.

She laughed softly. "Yeah yeah."

They went into her room. It was buried down the back of a small nook deep within the temple. Hidden. She'd gotten used to hiding.

"So what was it?" she asked as she sat down on a chair near the small window.

"I closed a dimensional rift on some train tracks. Saved a bunch of people, no big deal," he replied, a teasing smugness in his tone.

"You did it alone?"

He nodded.

"I could've helped."

"I'm sure you could've. But there was no need. The risk of exposing you was greater than my risk of failure."

"As always."

He rolled his eyes and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"So," she said. "You never answered me... To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I just... wanted to come see you." He shrugged.

"They told you I got out again, didn't they."

"They may have mentioned something..."

She laughed, resting her elbow on the windowsill. "I just went into the village for a walk around, okay? I wore a headscarf, sunglasses, didn't use my powers once."

"I'm not here to tell you off. I just wanted to make sure you're... okay. You tend to try run away a lot when you're not."

"Run away," she laughed, standing up and walking over to the bed. "You make me sound like a kid." She sat down beside him with a sigh. "I'm bored, Stephen. I feel useless, restless, lonely."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "This won't be forever."

"You said that two years ago."

"And I still mean it. It won't be forever. But right now, this is the safest place for you to be."

She looked up at him. "You're lucky I trust you."

" _You're_ lucky I trust myself."

They shared a gently smirk, a soft laugh and a lingering glance. Stephen dropped his gaze and cleared his throat.

"I better go," he said as he stood up and made his way to the door.

"You could stick around for a little while, if you wanted to?"

"I want to. But I can't."

She sighed and followed him out of the room. "More people to save?"

"The world's a big place." He looked down at her and gave an arrogant smile.

She let out a laugh as she continued to walk at his side. They talked quietly together as they wandered through the temple.

*

The Avengers HQ had been upgraded; rebuilt and extended thanks to a generous donation from Pepper Potts. It had sleeping quarters, communal areas, training facilities and extensive labs where Bruce Banner spent the majority of his time.

It was a large, sleek building surrounded by thick woodland and impenetrable gates. It had its own runway and landing pads, garages full of aircrafts and vehicles. Though it never quite felt the same after Tony died, this was the closest they had been to feeling like a team again.

Sam was still wearing the sweatpants and hoodie from his run, his earphones still playing music as he sat at a long meeting table with his laptop.

"Hey," he called out as Rhodey and Scott passed by.

They stopped and wandered inside.

"Have you seen this guy?" said Sam as he swivelled the laptop around. "Runs a blog called 'The Second Snap'."

Rhodey's brow furrowed. "The second snap?"

"Yeah. You know, the second..." he clicked his fingers, mimicking Thanos. " _Snap_."

"What? Seriously?" said Scott, pulling up a chair and burying his face in the laptop.

"Yeah. Says it's for people who believe a second snap is coming to 'wipe out the weak'."

"So by blog, you mean cult," said Rhodey.

"Yeah, this is giving off major cult-vibes," said Scott. "He says only the 'powerful' will be spared."

"Oh and let me guess, for just ten easy instalment of $99.95, he'll teach you all the tips and tricks to becoming powerful too?"

They laughed.

"Probably," said Sam. "Y'know the sad thing is people will actually fall for this stuff."

*

Spencer Wick stood in front of the large black mass in the abandoned basement. A small group of people stood watching him, their eyes glowing with the reflection of the bluish purple light rippling around it.

"The second snap is coming and we must prepare," said Spencer, his voice loud and commanding. "Only the powerful will be spared."

"What is it?" asked one of the people.

"This... This is our chance. To change ourselves and become part of the saved few."

They looked around at each other with a mixture of awe and fear.

"It sought me out. Brought me here to share its gift with the world." He turned and gestured to the thing. "So who wants to go first?"

There was a murmur, no one stepping forward or raising their hands.

A girl cleared her throat. "W-what will happen?"

"You'll become more powerful than you could've ever imagined. You'll be saved."

Still, no one stepped forward. Their excitement turning to doubt as the black mass began to hiss and whisper behind him.

"No one? Really!?" He laughed. "Fine."

They watched in silence as he took down his hood and unzipped his jacket. But as he slid it down and threw it to the ground, there was a quiet gasp.

Light was pulsating through his veins and arteries, his bones glowing and visible through his flesh like an X-ray. It covered his right arm, spreading across his chest and up onto his face, as if he had been hit with a blast of light that only reached half of him.

He walked up to a man in the crowd and pulled him forward. The man was large, well-built and muscular, taller than everyone else there. Yet Spencer lifted him from the ground as if he were light as air. He dragged him towards the black hole and threw him inside.

There was silence. The group of people waited anxiously, huddling together in fear as Spencer paced back and forth clenching and unclenching his glowing fist. The swirls of light around the hole began to move rapidly, as if the thing was breathing, chewing the man up before spitting him back out again.

He fell to the ground with a loud thud, the concrete cracking beneath his body weight. He was growling like an animal as he rose to his feet, nostrils flaring on his distorted face. His skin had turned a deep blue, his muscles larger as he towered over everyone, taking up twice the space as he had before.

Spencer grinned. "How do you feel, my friend?"

He roared, pivoting on his heels and driving his fist through the brick wall.

"Powerful?"

He turned back to him, breathing heavily and baring his teeth before forcing a slight nod.

"Who's next?" said Spencer.

One by one, the people threw themselves inside the mass. Some willingly, others out of fear. Some didn't return, not strong enough to withstand the darkness. Others crawled and stumbled out of it, each one enhanced with the dark energy.

A man had hidden behind a pillar, peering around it and covering his mouth in horror. Spencer turned his head sharply as he tried to back away, walking slowly and calmly towards him as he took off in a sprint towards the stairs.

The man scrambled up the stairs, stopping halfway up when he felt a burning in his back. He looked down to see a fist protruding from his chest, the taste of metal on his tongue.

"I gave you the chance to become something great," said Spencer, his voice eerily gentle.

He pulled back and watched the man drop to the floor, his blood pooling from the hole in his torso. He looked down at him and tutted before shaking off the blood that had coated his arm and walking back towards the others.

"Spread our message," he said. "Show them what you can do. They either join us... Or they die."


	2. Two • Weird

Stephen stood on the rooftop of the sanctum looking out over New York City. There was a heavy feeling in the air, the kind that only he could sense. It was eerie, foreboding, like something was coming. Or perhaps, something was already there.

The door creaked open. He turned around to see Wong peering his head out, beckoning him over.

"What?"

"You should see this."

They went inside. He followed behind as he hurried down the halls, pushing open the door to Kamar Taj and standing at the large stone table. Wong raised his hands quickly, conjuring a map of America in a cluster of orange light. Stephen narrowed his eyes as large, dark orbs began to appear, like ink stains, in and around New York.

"Dark energy," said Wong breathlessly. "I noticed a few began to appear in the early hours of the morning. Now they're everywhere."

"Do we know what's causing them?"

"No. But..." he pointed to one of the orbs. "The biggest hot spot is in the City."

Stephen folded his arms and let out a huff. "Of course it is."

*

Peter Parker sat in the back row of his college science lab, a pair of plastic safety goggles on his face, his best friend Ned at his side. The professor was pointing at the board explaining a chemical equation as the students did anything but pay attention; some were yawning, some playing on their phones beneath the table, but everyone's heads raised in unison as a loud noise echoed through the hall outside.

Peter felt the hairs on his arms prick, a feeling of dread rippling through his body. The professor instructed everyone to stay in their seats as he wandered over to peer through the glass in the door. But as he approached, Peter rose to his feet.

"Don't!"

He was too late, his voice drowned out by the crash of the door flying off its hinges. It knocked the teacher to the ground, rendering him unconscious as the rest of class began to scream.

A young man stepped into the lab, his body flickering like a hologram. The students scurried in fear, hiding under tables and huddling together. Ned tried to peer across the lab, but Peter grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back.

"Is that... Ricky Wheeler?" Ned whispered in a mix of fright and confusion.

Peter glanced over again, watching as he wandered around the lab. Wheeler was a weedy, timid boy that spent the majority of his school and college days stuffed into lockers and cowering in bathroom cubicles. He barely spoke a word, not even opening his mouth when bullies would make fun of him around campus and in the cafeteria.

He disappeared for a moment, reappearing again on the other side of the room as if time had been skipped. Beakers and test tubes shattered as he got close to them, sending shards of glass flying across the lab, even the windows began to crack under the pressure of his presence.

"I've been sent here on a mission," Wheeler began, as if each word was painful for him to speak. "To bring you to the entity... To let it change you like it changed me."

"Dude, you need to do something," Ned whispered.

"I can't suit up here, I need a distraction," Peter replied.

Ned stood up suddenly and without thinking, staring across the room at Wheeler with a blank expression.

"Hey..." he said awkwardly.

Peter rolled his eyes and slunk back towards the supply closet.

"I-I think you should leave," Ned continued nervously.

Wheeler dashed towards him, his body passing through the tables like a ghost. "I leave when our message is heard."

"Uh we... we heard you."

There was a scuffling behind them. Wheeler snapped his head around to see a group of students dashing towards the hole where the door once stood. He pointed at them and suddenly, they disintegrated. Ned's mouth fell open as he watched the cloud of purple specks flutter to the ground, like snow falling from a windless sky.

Wheeler gave a maniacal grin. "Let it be a lesson to the rest of you. When the second snap comes, you'll either be a victim, or a survivor. I chose to survive." He waited a moment. "What do you choose?"

No one dared move, the soft sounds of whimpering filling the room. He clenched his fists and the rest of the chemistry equipment exploded into the same purple dust, exposing people as they crouched together on the ground. There was a collective scream as they braced for his attack, but before he could use his powers again, a voice chimed from the back of the room.

"Hey, how about we take this outside?"

Peter stood with his hands on his hips, his suit covering his face as he smiled proudly at his witty line. But his smile quickly faded when Wheeler began to charge at him.

He shot a web at the ceiling, using it to swing around and straighten his legs to kick him in the back. But instead of knocking him to the ground, he found himself passing through his body and hurtling across the room. He spread his fingers and stuck himself to the wall, looking around quickly to see where he'd gone.

He reappeared inches from his face, so close that Peter could see the dark shadows around his eyes, heavy like bruises, turning the sockets to pits, his deep purple veins visible beneath his skin.

"Dude, what happened to you?"

"The entity."

"Is that some kind of new disease?"

Wheeler snarled and reached out to grab him. But he was swift, dodging him quickly and swinging across the room again. He shot his web at the store room door and tugged hard, ripping it from its hinges and watching as it knocked his opponent to the ground.

"His powers don't work when he's distracted," he said to himself breathlessly, before turning to Ned as he huddled with the rest of his classmates. "I'm gonna distract him!" He stopped, cleared his throat and deepening his voice. "Uh, you there... I'm going to distract him, you get everyone out of here."

"Uh yes, Spider-Man, sir. I will do that," Ned replied.

His acting was terrible, but Peter didn't have time to dwell on it, because within moments, Wheeler had climbed to his feet. He disintegrated the door, drawing the glowing purple specks into his hands and throwing them across the room. Peter's eyes widened as the specks rejoined in the air, stitching back together until there was a large, heavy door flying towards him.

It smacked him to the ground with an unexpected force, knocking the wind from his chest and drawing a groan from his throat.

"Alright," he said to himself. "Molecular manipulation, that's kinda cool."

He rose to his feet, knees bent, fists clenched, and as they began to fight, Ned led everyone to safety.

"Why are you doing this!?" Peter shouted as he bounced around the room like a whippet.

"The entity bestowed a gift upon me. It is my duty to share it with the world."

"Dude, you're like... twenty, why are you talking like a medieval knight?"

Wheeler growled in anger and grabbed him by the throat, turning him into a cloud of particles. He balled them into a cluster and threw them through the window, watching them come back together as Peter landed on the grass outside with a thud.

"Ugh, that felt disgusting," said Peter.

"I could've left you in pieces," said Wheeler as he walked straight through the wall and joined him outside. "But the second snap will spare the strong. So I must spare you too."

"There you go again, talking all fancy and weird." He clambered to his feet. "You know I can't let you go..."

" _Let_ me? That's funny."

Peter pointed his wrists and wrapped him in webbing, bringing him to his knees. But in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

"Shoulda thought as much," Peter sighed.

A loud noise rattled through the open air. He snapped his head around quickly to see smoke billowing in the distance, the sounds of car horns and screeching alarms echoing from the city.

*

Juno raised her arms slowly, focusing her energy on the space in front of her. Her eyes glazed over with a yellow light and her fingertips began to ignite.

"Nope, you're doing it again," said the sorcerer beside her.

The light stopped, her eyes returning to their usual calm, golden hue. She dropped her arms to her sides and sighed before slipping the heavy ring from her finger.

"I just can't do it," she said. "Every time I try, my stupid powers take over."

"Everyone is capable of this. It just takes focus. The magic to conjure portals resides in our mind's eye; you have to separate yourself from your powers, draw strength from your human side."

"Kinda hard when you don't know what side's the human one."

"You will get there, but it takes time. If you really want to master the mystic arts then you must be patient."

"It's been two years and I can't even make a spark. Maybe I should just stick to what I know, leave the wizard stuff to you guys."

"I'm sure Doctor Strange would be thrilled to hear you calling this 'wizard stuff'," the sorcerer gave a slight smile.

Juno laughed. "I've called him worse."

She felt a presence that hadn't been there before. It was tense and loud, taking up the air around her. She knew it was Stephen; he was somewhere in Kamar Taj, but he wasn't there for her.

She wandered the temple until she found him. He was in the vast, dark library, scouring ancient texts and lifting books from their heavy chains.

"Hi," she said.

"Oh, hi," he replied absentmindedly as he continued to weave between the rows. "I thought you'd be training."

"I was. But I was getting annoyed so I took a break."

"Annoyed?"

"Yeah." She folded her arms and leaned against a shelf. "See, I can mimic almost any power, except yours."

"Mm, well manipulating time and space is a little harder to reenact."

He didn't look at her once as he spoke, pouring his focus into the books around him, a deep line of concentration on his forehead.

"I have a feeling you're not here to see me..." said Juno.

"Unfortunately not."

"What's going on?"

"Dark energy, in and around New York. Seemingly out of nowhere." He finally turned to look at her. "Except evil never comes from nowhere."

She suddenly felt timid in his presence, as if she could feel every ounce of tension coursing through his body.

"Evil?"

"And it's multiplying."

"So what do we do?"

"You do nothing. _I_ figure out why it's here; whether there's been a rupture and it's spilled out, or whether it's forced its way through..."

She followed him as he walked deeper into the library. "Is it time?"

He stopped, pivoting on his heels to face her. "I don't know."

"You said you'd know when the time came."

"I will."

"Stephen, this could be it..."

"And until I know for sure, you stay here. I'm not pulling you out of hiding for something I could handle myself."

"Well what about the Avengers? If not me then-"

"I'm afraid this is a little outside of the Avengers' expertise."

*

The New York high street was rife with chaos. Buildings were destroyed, the air filled with smoke and dust. People were running for their lives, fleeing in cars and calling out for help.

There was a bank at the end of the street; a large, old building with stone columns and heavy wooden doors. It was the last place to feel the destruction of the changed ones. Employees and customers were trapped inside, frozen with fear as the group stepped over the rubble through the hole where the wall once stood, through the smoke and water that poured from burst pipes.

"Sorry about this, guys," said Spencer Wick as he looked around the large foyer. "Some of us aren't used to our new gifts yet."

He gestured to the huge, angry creature at his side. The thing bore his teeth and growled.

"I guess we don't know our own strength," Spencer finished, his mouth curling into a lopsided smile.

The people were terrified as the group stood before them. Spencer in his long dark coat, hair slicked back, bones alight and glowing through the skin on one side of his face. Beside him stood the Monster, with razor-like teeth and eyes dark as black holes, his muscles bulging under deep blue flesh. Wheeler was close-by, his form flickering like a glitching hologram.

There were two women with them. The first was so petite she could have been mistaken for a child; with long dark hair and fists burning with bluish purple flames. Her eyes appeared to be missing, in their place the same intense light poured from the sockets, spilling onto her face like tears. The other woman was stony and quiet, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket as she glared at each terrified face before her.

"J-just... take the money. Whatever you want, it's yours," said the bank manager from behind his desk.

"We're not here for money," said Spencer, so calm he almost sounded kind. "We have come to bring you to the entity."

He raised his glowing hand. But before he could speak again, something flew over his head and landed in front of them. It was a man, with long metal wings strapped to his back and a red, white and blue shield on his arm. He straightened his back and eyed them intensely.

"I don't know where you came from, but it's time for you to leave now," said Sam.

Spencer didn't reply. Instead he gave the slightest chuckle that didn't reach his eyes.

"Your little reign of terror here is over."

"Reign of terror?" He smirked. "You're an Avenger, right? Y'know that's so like you guys... hoarding all the power for yourselves."

He paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"

"I'm trying to give everyone a fair chance, the opportunity to survive the-"

"Oh my god, you're the 'second snap' guy."

"Ah, you've read my essays."

"I've read your delusional ramblings on a _blog_."

"Delusional, huh?" He tilted his head, speaking to the Monster at his side. "Get rid of him."

The huge creature let out a growl and bounded forward. Sam raised the shield above his head and dug his heels into the ground as two boulder-like fists came crashing down, clanging against the vibranium. He couldn't move as the Monster continued his attack, forced to watch as the rest of Spencer's group began to walk deeper into the bank.

"Guys... little help?" said Sam through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Scott Lang replied through his earpiece.

Scott and Hope sized up in the middle of the foyer, moving together through the chaos like a well-choreographed dance.

"Hey Banner," said Scott as they began ushering people to safety. "There's a really big guy in here, I think Sam could use your help."

"Ugh, I'm on it," Bruce replied in his ear.

The ground began to rumble as Sam felt himself loosing grip of the shield. But suddenly, the attack stopped. He straightened his back and watched as Bruce began to fight the Monster, throwing each other into walls and roaring as they brawled. He turned his attention to the other people as Rhodey and Wanda flew into the scene.

Wanda lowered herself to the ground opposite the small woman, deflecting her blue light and firing back with her own scarlet energy. Rhodey landed beside Scott and Hope, his shiny silver suit towering over them.

"I got this," he said. "I'll get everyone out, you guys go help the others."

The couple nodded before grabbing each other and shrinking down.

The battle spilled out onto the street, the Avengers working together to fight off the group, keeping them distracted while Rhodey led the civilians to safety.

Wanda caught the woman in a cloud of energy, lifting her from the ground and keeping her arms tight to her sides. Her brow furrowed when she felt someone behind her, their presence creating a heavy pressure in the air around them.

Peter Parker swung through the air, dropping to his feet beside her. "Hey Wanda," he said cheerily.

She didn't reply, pouring her focus into keeping the woman trapped with her power. He turned his attention to the person behind her. It was Wheeler, raising his hands ready to attack.

"Oh hi, nice to see you again," said Peter.

Wheeler snarled and clenched his fists, pulling them down and watching as the surrounding buildings shattered like glass. The remnants turned to specks of purple light, just like they had done at the college, before scattering and floating away in the breeze.

Peter ran at him, but it wasn't long before he knew he was losing the fight. Wheeler could manipulate molecules, change states of matter and disintegrate anything with the flick of his wrist. Every time he shot a web, the boy would dodge it with ease, he would shatter cars and slabs of concrete, throw the particles and weave them back together just in time to hit him.

On the other side of the street, Bruce continued to fight the Monster. While nearby, Scott and Hope battled against Spencer.

The quiet woman was standing in the middle of the wreckage, observing the war taking place around her. She glanced over as Hope kicked Spencer to the ground, holding him in place as Scott tried to cover his arm to prevent him from using it. She walked calmly towards them, slowly taking her hands out of her pockets to reveal blackened fingertips; they looked as if she had been frost-bitten, the deep, bruise-like colour creeping up towards her knuckles. She reached out and touched Hope on the side of the face, stepping back and watching as she released her grip on Spencer and fell to the floor.

Hope keeled over onto her side, writhing in pain and letting out a deafening scream. It was a bloodcurdling sound, an agonising sound. She had never felt pain like it; it was everywhere, so severe that she was sure she'd rather die.

"Hope!?" Scott shouted as he rushed to her side.

Spencer clambered to his feet, dusting himself off and slinking away.

"Hope? What happened!? What..." He looked up at the woman. "What did you do to her!? Make it stop, make it stop now!"

The woman gave a shrug and backed away.

"Scott, take her back to the ship!" Bruce shouted.

He looked over at the aircraft they had arrived in before scooping up Hope in his arms and hurrying away from the fight. Sam swooped in above their heads, grabbing them and carrying them to safety.

Wanda looked across to Peter as he fell from the sky and landed hard on the hood of a car. Wheeler was walking towards him, his form flickering in and out as he prepared to hurl another attack. She panicked and swung her arms around, sending the small woman hurtling through the air and crashing into him. She ran over, igniting her hands as her eyes glowed red and began shooting blasts of light towards the pair of them.

"I'll take him, you take her," she shouted.

"Yeah... okay... good idea." Peter nodded breathlessly.

"Guys, don't let the other girl touch you," said Scott through their earpieces. "I don't know what she's done to Hope but it's not good."

"Other girl..." said Peter, looking around as he fought. He noticed her walking calmly through the wreckage. "Ah! Other girl. Got her."

He shot a heavy string of web, wrapping her tightly and stringing her up high above the ground. Still, she didn't utter a sound, struggling quietly as she hung in the air. He turned his attention back to the other woman. She was quick and nimble, throwing balls of blue flames at an unrelenting speed.

Wanda had gained the upper hand on Wheeler, catching him off guard and keeping him on the floor. Nearby, Bruce pinned the Monster down, punching him until the ground beneath them began to crack.

Spencer watched on as his team began to lose. Spider-Man making funny quips as he bounced around dodging the woman's power, The Hulk pummelling the Monster into the concrete, Scarlet Witch standing over Wheeler as he struggled on the ground.

A metallic clang sounded behind him. He turned to see War Machine standing there, guns emerging from the shoulders of his suit. Spencer took a step backwards and gave a slight smile as a large black hole began to materialise around him. It sucked him in, and suddenly, he was gone.

Suddenly, the others began to disappear too. Each one melting into a portal of darkness until the Avengers were alone, looking around at the devastation they had left behind.

"What the hell do we do now?" asked Rhodey.

*

The sanctum was quiet, empty and still like a museum after hours. Stephen's footsteps echoed against the dark wood, stopping when he reached the foyer and lay eyes on a face he hadn't seen in two years.

"Mr Parker..." he said, like a doctor greeting an old colleague.

"Please, call me Peter," he said, trying to sound mature. "Mr Parker is my father." He paused. "Or at least it was until he died."

Stephen stared at him quietly, an awkward silence lingering in the air. There were cuts on his face, his hair messy and hanging over his eyes.

Peter cleared his throat. "Anyway..."

"You look worn out, would you like something to drink? Wong makes a great loose leaf tea-"

"Uh no... no thanks."

Stephen walked through an archway and gestured to two extravagant button-back armchairs. Peter sat down tentatively, his body aching, suit squeaking against the glossy leather.

"What can I do for you?" asked Stephen as he sat down opposite him.

"Something happened today. A kid from my school turned up with these... these powers. And he was all _join us now,_ and we were all _no, leave us alone._ And he was all _boom zap pow._ " He began wielding his hands, acting out the blasts that had destroyed the school.

"Alright, okay, I get it."

"He was one of the people in the city. Did you see the attack?"

"I saw it."

"These guys are weird, man."

"And so you came to me?"

"Well you do kinda specialise in... _weird."_

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Do the others know you're here?"

"I suggested it. They didn't exactly object, so..."

He sighed and crossed one leg over the other. "I'm looking into it."

"Th-that's it?" He leaned forward. "You're 'looking into it'?"

"Is that not the answer you wanted?" Stephen's tone was frosty, unhelpful, as if he were irritated by his presence.

Peter waited a moment, taking a breath and pressing his lips together. "Look, sir-"

"Doctor."

"Sir Doctor. I know what happened with your girlfriend was really sad and you're like... ghosting us or whatever, but you can't let a grudge stop you from saving innocent people."

"First of all, she wasn't my girlfriend. Second, I would never refuse to help because of a personal grievance." He stood up and walked slowly to the other side of the room. "This seems to be a dimensional force, a disease infecting this reality. Where it came from or why it's here, I don't know yet. But as you said, this is _my_ department." He turned back to look at him, standing with his hands behind his back. "I'm handling my end, you guys handle yours."

Peter remained seated in the large leather chair, eyes wide and innocent as he watched him leave the room, his flowing red cloak following behind.


	3. Three • Sun

Kathmandu was mild and warm, the city surrounded by mountains and clear blue skies. The streets were busy, with merchants on every corner, the roads packed with traffic and bustling crowds. It was the perfect place to be invisible.

When the people who lived near the temple first saw Juno, they called her _pahēlō ām̐khā mahilā_ \- the yellow-eyed woman. She would sneak out and play with the children, entertain them with her ability to move things with her mind and make pretty golden light pour from her fingers. She would sit with market traders and try to learn the language, explore narrow pathways and hidden gardens, anything to avoid returning to her small room in Kamar-Taj. Over time, they began to call her _Sunaulō_ instead - Golden - and after two years, they simply called her Sun.

She walked along the road, waving to the locals as they passed by. They didn't see her often, but when they did, they would always call out to her with a smile.

"Ah, Sun!"

"Namaskāra," she replied, still unsure if she was pronouncing it correctly.

The further she got towards the city, the more she began to disguise herself, hiding her eyes behind a pair of sunglasses and wrapping a sheer black scarf over her head. In the thick of the city, she couldn't be Sun. There, she had to be no one. She could handle the chastising from the sorcerers when they discovered she'd left, the frustration on Stephen's face when he came to scold her. But if someone were to recognise her as the mutant from New York, it would all be over. And she didn't think she could handle that.

As she wandered through the busy streets, she noticed a crowd huddling around a market stall, a small television perched on a chair. She joined the crowd, keeping her face hidden as she peered over their shoulders at the screen. It was a news station reporting on an attack in the US. She recognised it immediately. New York City. Her heart sank as the camera panned across the smoke and rubble, the ambulances and police cars lining the devastating scene.

...

She arrived back at the temple, discarding her scarf and glasses and rushing through the halls. Stephen was there, she could feel him in the air around her, following her senses like a compass until she found him walking the grounds outside.

"Hey," she said breathlessly as she hurried towards him. "What the hell is going on in New York?"

"How do you know about that?"

"It was on the tv in the market."

"Well-" He stopped walking and turned to her. "You left the temple? After I explicitly asked you to stay inside?"

"You've been asking me to stay inside since I first got here. I think we've established I don't like to do as I'm told."

"Juno, you can't keep-"

"Ah ah ah," she said, holding her finger up at him. "You're deflecting from my question. What's happening in New York? Is this something to do with those... dark things you saw?"

"I'm looking into it," he replied.

"That's all you're going to give me?"

"That's all I have to give right now."

He continued to walk, eyeing her at his side as she followed.

"Did you help?" she pressed. "I saw the Avengers on the news and you weren't there."

"They handled it."

"But the headline said the people got away."

"Oh my god, Juno. Stop."

"You need to help them with this, Stephen. You need to let _me_ help."

"No."

She let out a huff. "You said yourself the time would come. I really think this is the time."

" _Think_ whatever you want," he snapped. "I said I'm working on it, can you just drop it!?"

Her face scrunched with anger. She took a deep breath and began to shout.

A pair of sorcerers stood on the other side of the grounds, watching them from a large stone archway at the back of the temple.

"Strange and Juno are fighting again," said one of them.

"What's new?"

"I wonder what it's about this time."

They watched the pair in the distance, arms flailing, faces close as they argued.

"I'm sure they'll work it out. They always do."

*

The changed ones gathered in the basement of the old factory. The dark energy had grown in size, taking up twice the space as it had done before. The group sat around as Spencer paced back and forth.

"We knew this would happen," he said angrily. "This is what the Avengers want; to keep everyone else weak so they can look like saviours."

His eyes trailed the people in front of him, the looks of anger and defeat on their faces.

"What happened yesterday will not happen again. We will bring in new people, grow our team and learn to harness the powers the entity has given us. We will become unstoppable and we will destroy every last one of those self-serving, suit-wearing phoneys." He looked up at the deep, black hole. "We're the Avengers now."

*

The elevator doors slid open. Peter stepped out and walked across the bright, open foyer of the HQ. He took off his backpack and placed it on the floor before pushing through a set of glass doors where the others stood around watching news coverage of the attacks on a thin, glass screen.

"They're freshly enhanced," Bruce continued as Peter joined them. "Still not totally in control of their new abilities. Which makes them dangerous... but beatable."

"Do you think someone did this to them?" asked Rhodey. "Like some evil mastermind's putting together an army of super villains?"

Sam shook his head and stepped up to the screen, using his fingers to zoom in on Spencer Wick's face. "This guy's their leader. He thinks another snap is coming, believes only people with powers will be spared."

"Sounds like some kind of cult."

"Hey, that's what _we_ said," said Scott as he walked into the room.

"How's Hope doing?" asked Rhodey with a sigh.

"She's still sleeping. Hasn't spoken much but I think she's doing better."

"They don't seem like the kind of powers you engineer in a lab," said Wanda as she turned back to the screen. "There was a darkness, a heaviness to them."

The room fell quiet as the group watched the faces on the screen.

Bruce turned to Peter. "Did you find Strange?"

"Yeah I found him," he replied awkwardly.

"And? What did he say?"

"He uh... he said he's- he's handling it."

"He's _handling_ it?"

"That's funny," said Rhodey sarcastically. "Because I don't remember seeing him out there while we were getting our asses handed to us by a bunch of glowing purple freaks."

"Yeah... I think he's still mad at you guys for what happened with the Juno lady."

" _Us_ guys? You fought against her too."

"Yeah but have any of you guys been inside his house in the past two years? 'Cause I just have and he even offered me tea so..."

"Guys. Stop," Wanda interjected. "Strange has always worked alone, it's the way he is. We need to trust that he's getting to the bottom of it and in the meantime we just stay on top of these guys. He treats the cause we treat the symptoms."

"He'd like that one..." said Peter with a chuckle. "Causes and symptoms, y'know, because he's a doctor?"

There was an awkward silence.

"No? Alright."

*

Moonlight shone through the windows of the sanctum. It was quiet and calm, worlds away from the vibrant, busy night life of the city.

Wong walked through the dimly lit halls until he reached a heavy wooden door. He pushed it open and stepped into the room, letting out an irritated breath when he laid eyes on Stephen.

He was running on a treadmill, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants, a pair of earphones playing music in his ears. He lifted his head, acknowledging Wong with a nod and taking the buds out of his ears.

"Hey," he said breathlessly. "What's up?"

"You told the boy you were working on it," Wong replied.

"I am."

"Is this working on it?" He gestured to him as he continued to run.

"I'm waiting for a spike in activity," he said.

Wong glared at him, completely unconvinced.

He let out a sigh and turned off the machine before stepping off and mopping his brow with a towel. "Alright, truth is I have no idea. I've scoured texts, cast out spells, travelled dimensions and I still don't know where this thing is coming from. I know it's here in New York, but that's as much as I have."

"Juno could help."

"Why are you all so insistent on getting her involved?"

"Because she is powerful and she is strong, and she has been training for a moment like this. She is ready."

"Yeah she's also a fugitive. I pull her out of hiding and she's done for. Do you really think they're gonna excuse everything she did just because she gives us a hand with one group of bad guys?" He paused. "She _is_ one of the bad guys."

"Nice," a voice scoffed behind them.

They turned around to see Juno standing in the doorway. Stephen closed his eyes and sighed and Wong shifted on his feet.

"What are you doing here?" said Stephen.

"Kamar-Taj was getting a little boring," she replied. "I felt like a change of scenery."

He gritted his teeth. "Go back. Now."

"Why? Who's gonna see me?"

"That's not the point. You shouldn't be here."

She pressed her lips together, her feet planted firmly on the ground. "I'm getting really sick and tired of you talking to me like a child."

Stephen paused for a moment before turning to Wong and taking a slow, controlled breath. "Could you give us a second?"

He nodded and hurried out of the room, as if he were running from a volcano on the brink of eruption. Stephen walked towards her, his casual clothes materialising into his robes and cloak.

She raised an eyebrow. "Considering you just called me 'one of the bad guys', I'm kinda offended by the change of outfit."

"I always change after a workout," he replied sarcastically.

"Into your sorcerer getup?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Juno, you need to go back-"

"Why did you save me, Stephen?" she snapped. "Because If I'd have known all you were going to do was lock me up like some damsel in a tower, I probably would've preferred for them to just blow me up."

"Look, I know it doesn't feel like it, but I'm keeping you in Kathmandu to protect you."

She raised her hand and shot a blast of light into his chest. It knocked him off his feet, making him fall backwards onto the hard floor.

"What about me makes you think I need protection?" she said.

"Oh, nice, Juno," he grumbled as he climbed to his feet, dusting himself off. "Great, physical force, that's exactly the right approach to getting your point across."

"How else am I supposed to?"

"I don't know, words?"

"I've said everything I can think to say and nothing has changed your mind! You're still convinced you're keeping me safe and I'm still sitting inside a temple every day wondering when you're going to grace me with your presence."

He sighed. "Fine, I will... I'll try to visit you more."

"Way to miss the point, Strange."

"Well then what do you want? For me to send you over to Avengers and say 'hey guys, surprise!'"

"I want to stop feeling like a prisoner!"

"You're not a prisoner."

"If I'm not a prisoner then what's the long term here, Stephen? What's the conclusion?"

Her face changed as she looked at him, her anger melting away as she recognised the worry in his eyes.

"You're scared I'm going to leave," she said quietly.

He placed his hands either side of his head. "I've told you to stop reading my mind."

"I didn't read your mind..."

"Once I bring you out, there's no going back. You come, you help, then what? What happens after? You'd have to go. I don't... I can't..." he was tripping over his words, stuttering and stammering as he avoided her gaze.

She stepped closer to him, softening her voice and catching his eyes with her own. "Two years ago, you had to make a choice between me and the rest of the world. You chose the world. But right now, you're choosing me. You can't _do_ that."

He looked down at her, his jaw clenched, eyes dark and stormy.

"A lot of people got hurt yesterday," she continued. "People I could've saved if you just... stopped worrying about losing me."

"It's not about losing you," he replied quietly.

"Okay now I'm reading your mind and I know that's not true."

He sighed. "C-can we... talk about this another time?"

She dropped her head and took a step back. "Fine. I mean, you know where to find me."

He watched her as she began to walk away. "Juno..."

She stopped, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I'm a protector of this world. It kills me that I let that happen yesterday," he said quietly. "I just... I don't want to ever _use_ you."

"I know, I know, 'I'm not a weapon'."

"No. But I swear if the time ever comes when there's no other choice-"

"Then I will report for duty, Doctor." She saluted him before continuing to walk away. "And I will _slaughter_ everyone."

He glared at her.

"I'm kidding. I don't do that anymore."


	4. Four • Heroes

There was a storm brewing over New York City. The sky heavy and dark, sunlight forcing its way through thick, smoky clouds. Rain fell in bursts, showering the sidewalk for mere moments at a time before disappearing again, leaving behind glistening puddles and a warm, earthy scent. But there was something else brewing - a tempest - and it was far more destructive than any act of god.

On Tenth Avenue, traffic had slowed to a standstill. A never ending string of buses, cars and yellow taxis honked their horns as passersby stopped to watch the commotion unfold. The line stretched the length of the street, people at the back climbing out of their vehicles and hanging out of windows to try and get a look at what was happening. An accident, perhaps, roadworks or diversions. But further towards the front of the line, the sense of irritation and confusion morphed into one of fear and dread.

Walking side-by-side down the middle of the road was a group of people. A pack. In the middle was a man in a long coat, his face shadowed by a large hood, beside him walked a younger man, flickering and glitching, and a small woman with eyes gauged out and replaced by light. Behind them trailed a large creature walking slowly beside a quiet, stoic woman in a pair of leather gloves. They were ignoring the beeps and shouting onlookers as if they weren't there, as if the city belonged to them.

They stopped, standing together as the lights changed from red to green and eventually back to red, no one daring to drive past them, no one daring to cross the street. The hooded man turned his head, speaking to the younger man.

"Do it."

He nodded and raised his hands slowly, his brow furrowing with concentration before looking around, a slight smile creasing the corners of his sunken cheeks. He brought his hands down quickly, and with them, the ground began to ripple like liquid. It travelled outwards like a shockwave, making everything around them, every building, car and person explode into dust. He looked up, guiding the dust up towards the moody sky before bringing the fragments back together above their heads. Then he dropped his hands to his sides and watched as it all came crashing back down.

"That should get their attention," the hooded man said as the five of them stood calmly amongst the destruction.

*

Stephen stepped through the large front doors of the sanctum, closing them behind him with one hand, his other carrying a brown paper takeout bag. He slipped off his hood and unzipped his jacket as he made his way towards the stairs, taking them two at a time until he almost reached the top.

A sudden jolt surged through his body, knocking him forward like a powerful gust of wind. He fell against the steps, dropping the bag of food and catching himself with his free hand before looking around breathlessly at the empty staircase.

He recognised the feeling; it was malevolent, otherworldly. He was sorcerer supreme, in tune with the world like no one else; he could feel its pain, sense when it was infected by darkness, but nothing had ever brought him to his knees before.

He got up and climbed the remaining stairs, running into Wong on the landing.

"Something's happened," said Stephen.

"Dark magic, I felt it too."

They ran up to the roof, bursting through the door and hurrying to the edge, looking out at the smoke rising over the tops of building, the sound of sirens ringing in the air.

"It's the same people from the other attack," said Stephen.

"But they feel so much stronger."

"That's because they are."

They shielded their eyes and looked up at the sky, watching as a familiar aircraft soared towards the scene.

"Right on cue."

Wong turned to Stephen in panic. "We can't let them go up against these people. They're powered by darkness, able to alter the fabric of reality - the Avengers don't stand a chance."

"No, no this is good. They don't need to win. If they can just... keep them busy long enough for me to-"

"Stephen. You cannot use them as bait."

"Are we talking about the same people here? Those guys went up against _Thanos,_ with six infinity stones in his fist, and they _won._ "

"You believe they would have succeeded without your help?"

"I-" he stopped himself and let out a huff.

"You know the game Rock Paper Scissors?"

Stephen raised an eyebrow, looking at him sceptically from the corner of his eye. "Mhm..."

"There is a reason why paper beats rock. Rock is big and solid, it beats scissors by crushing them with sheer strength. But paper is a shapeshifter. It can manipulate its form, bend around the rock and render it useless..."

"Damn that's a good analogy, I'll be stealing that one."

"Stephen... The Avengers are the rock, these people are the paper. They need someone more powerful than any of them combined." He paused. "I think it's time you put your grievances aside."

He remained quiet, staring into the distance as the aircraft lowered itself in the midst of the chaos.

*

Bruce, Rhodey, Sam, Wanda and Scott stepped out of their aircraft, forming a row just feet away from the Changed Ones. Above their heads, Peter swung through the city, dropping to the ground and landing at their side.

"Haven't you guys learned your lesson?" Sam shouted over to them.

"We learned," replied Spencer. "And this time we've come a little more prepared."

He slipped down his hood to reveal his face, the woman next to him bent her knees and ignited her hands while the monster behind them bore his teeth with a growl.

Wanda lit up her own hands in response, her eyes glowing scarlet. Scott and Rhodey flicked up their helmets as the wings on Sam's back splayed out to their full breadth.

"What do you want?" Bruce shouted. "Who _are_ you?"

"Us?" Spencer looked around at his group, almost laughing. "We're the new Avengers!"

"Good one," said Scott with a sarcastic laugh.

"Unlike you guys, we're trying to _share_ our gifts instead of hoarding them. Think about it; a world full superheroes."

"You guys aren't 'heroes'," Sam sneered.

"And we're all about to witness the proof... that neither are _you_."

The two groups charged towards each other in a mix of powerful blasts and gunfire. Bruce and the monster crashed into one another, growling and roaring, destroying everything they touched as they brawled. Wanda blocked the small woman's powers, throwing her own deep red energy back at her as Sam and Peter soared through the air above them.

The other woman stood still, calmly removing her gloves as she glared at Scott, a slight smirk on her face. He scrunched his nose, the memory of Hope writhing in pain making his blood bubble with anger. He pressed a button on his suit, shrinking down and running towards her, avoiding Spencer and Rhodey's feet as they fought above him.

"We beat 'em once, we can do it again," said Sam as he began ushering onlookers to safety.

Suddenly, Bruce's body soared through the air and crashed into a parked car. He groaned, unable to lift his head as he lay amongst the crushed metal. The monster charged at him, jumping on top of him and pounding his fists into his face until he knocked him out cold.

"Bruce!" Wanda shouted before surrounding the monster in a cloud of light and throwing him down the street.

Nearby, Scott resized behind the woman and grabbed her in a choke hold. "Hey Spider-Man, can you fashion us a pair of gloves!?"

"Sure!" Peter swung down and landed in front of them before shooting a thick layer of webbing around each of her hands. He attached her to a streetlight, saluting playfully before running off again.

Scott glanced across the street to Rhodey as he continued to fight off Spencer. He ran over to them, shrinking down and sizing up around the man's face to distract him as Rhodey opened his palm and shot him down into the ground.

Spencer began to laugh, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at the two men. "You call yourselves Avengers. But what are you without your suits?"

"Uh... _awesome?_ " Scott replied sarcastically.

"We'll see."

They turned around to see Wheeler standing behind them. But before they could do anything, the young man had lifted his hand, causing the metal of Rhodey's suit to melt, dripping off his body like liquid silver. He dropped to his knees as his leg braces began to malfunction, rendering him useless, unable to move from the sidewalk where he lay.

Scott stared down at the puddle that was once War Machine's suit. "How the fu-"

Spencer stepped up behind him, placing his glowing hand on his helmet and smiling as it began to spark. Scott took off in a sprint, his suit changing his size every few seconds as Spencer and Wheeler chased behind.

Sam landed next to Rhodey, crouching down and helping him sit up. "What the hell happened?"

"The kid. Watch out for the kid."

Sam glanced up to see Scott running from the two men. He watched as Wheeler moved his hands, warping the ground as if it were water, reducing things to particles and stitching them back together, making the air fold in on itself like a black hole. He handed Rhodey his shield for protection before flying off towards them.

But before he could get there, Spencer had grabbed Scott, breaking his suit completely and tearing his helmet off. Wheeler disintegrated him, balling up the dust and throwing it at a wall. Scott reformed, slamming into it and falling to the ground, gasping for breath.

Peter appeared at Sam's side, hanging upside down from a road sign.

"We're losing," said Sam.

"No, we can still beat them."

"The only other person I've seen do things like this is Strange. And he's not here."

"He'll come," Peter insisted. "He will. He has to."

Spencer walked up to the woman as she struggled to free herself from the streetlight. He grabbed the webbing in his fists and tore it away, directing her towards Bruce. She walked up to him as he lay on the car and placed a hand on the side of his face, watching as the huge, green creature gritted his teeth and let out an agonising roar.

"Sorry to break it to you, kid," Sam continued. "But I don't see any wizards flying in to save the day!"

Wanda had gained control of her opponent, pinning her to the ground with her power and piling heavy rubble on top of her. But behind her, the monster was closing in, running towards her and bearing his sharp teeth.

Sam soared down, kicking him in the side of the head. The pair rolled together across the floor, eventually stopping with the monster on top of him. He raised his hands, wishing he'd kept his shield as large, heavy fists began to rain down on him.

"No..." Peter muttered as he watched on.

He bounced across the street in an attempt to help. But before he could get there, he felt a force dragging him away. Wheeler. He pulled him into the side of a building, merging his body with brick until he was stuck, moulded into the wall like cement. He let out a scream as he tried to free himself, but it was solid, leaving him with no choice but to watch on as the monster delivered a blow to Sam's face, knocking him out cold.

Wanda suddenly realised she was the last one standing. It was a heavy feeling, like the fate of the world sat within her two glowing fists. The group had come together, all five of them approaching her slowly as she backed away, glancing around at her teammates scattered around the destroyed street.

"You know, your gifts are not unlike Neo's here." Spencer gestured to the woman beside him as she conjured a large ball of light between her palms. "It's a shame, that you would use it for glory and admiration, yet let those who admire you die when the second snap-"

"The second snap is bullshit and you know it," she interrupted angrily. "Whatever did this to you, it wants destruction and it's _using_ you to fulfil that."

Spencer jerked his head back as if he were in pain, the light beneath his skin pulsating and travelling through his veins like blood. He groaned as he regained control, his eyes falling on Wanda again. "The entity didn't like that..."

Her eyes widened as they began to charge towards her. She armed herself with her power as she braced for impact. But suddenly, in the air between her and the Changed Ones, there was a spark.

The spark began to swirl, multiplying and growing larger until it was so big and bright that it made her opponents stop in their tracks.

Peter watched on, punching the air with his one free hand and cheering. "Yes! I knew he'd come!"

Scott dug himself from the rubble, peering over and narrowing his eyes in confusion. "That's _not_ Strange..."

She was dressed casually, in a cardigan, long skirt and heavy lace-up boots. It was as if she had been plucked unexpectedly from a shopping mall, accidentally stumbled into a war zone. But her eyes were bewitched, yellow light pouring from her hands and travelling up her arms. She was exactly where she needed to be.

She walked slowly and calmly out of the portal, seemingly unconcerned by the group in front of her, undisturbed by the devastation surrounding them. She held up her palms and shot a blast of energy that sent them all flying backwards. It was so strong that the ground shook, but still she continued to approach them at the same steady pace.

Neo was the quickest to her feet, jumping up and snarling as she charged towards her with fists of light. But with the turn of her wrist, Juno sent her soaring into the side of a building, as if she were flicking away a piece of lint that had landed on her shoulder.

Spencer stared at her with wide eyes. It was the first time his confidence had wavered, as if a glint of his former self had broken through the facade. He composed himself quickly, reaching out his hand to draw her closer to him. But she had predicted his attack, wrapping his arm in a cloud of yellow energy and dragging him back to his knees. She used her other hand to tear a large slab of concrete from the sidewalk before launching it at him. It broke as it hit him, burying him beneath the rubble.

Neo had climbed down from the building, running back towards her at full speed and throwing balls of light. But a forcefield formed around her, shielding her from each blow.

Wheeler closed his eyes and dematerialised, reappearing moments later at her side. He moved his arms, creating a vacuous black hole and attempting to pull her into it. But before it got to her, something stopped it. He looked up to see a man descending from the sky, with flecks of silver in his hair and a long red cloak on his back. He shifted his attention to him, turning the buildings around them to liquid and sending it towards him like a tidal wave. He watched as Stephen curled his hands, turning his wave into a cloud of glittering specks that fluttered up into the sky like stars.

Juno turned to Stephen and gave him a slight nod. He nodded back, before continuing to fight the young man, the pair slipping in and out of dimensions, using time and space as weapons and battlegrounds.

Juno sensed something behind her, turning her head ever so slightly until she could see a large, dark creature bounding towards her. She whipped around and caught him with her light, pulling him to the ground and dragging him behind her as she walked. His body was scraping the uneven floor as he wrestled against her power, thrashing his legs and growling as his head knocked against uneven bricks and exposed pipes. But still, she kept dragging him, like a hunter returning home with their prey.

On one side of her, Neo was approaching. On the other, the quiet, angry woman. Ahead of her, Spencer had freed himself from the concrete, rising to his feet and rolling his shoulders. She extended her arm and lifted him into the air, before multiplying herself into three. She sent one version of herself running towards Neo while the other turned to face the woman with a raised eyebrow. She let go of the monster before curving her fingers to bend pipes around his wrists, legs and neck, pinning him to ground. But her eyes never left Spencer as he hung helplessly in the air above her.

She pulled him down, drawing him close to her and placing a hand on the side of his head. Behind his eyes, she could see his memories; his childhood, his happiness, his sorrow. She saw a dark basement and a heavy black cloud, a malevolent whispering pouring from its tendrils. She let out a soft gasp and threw him down the street, watching him crash down on top of the monster who lay trapped beneath her makeshift shackles.

Suddenly, she felt the woman's hand on her shoulder. But instead of crumbling in excruciating pain, she turned to look at her, shaking her head as if to simply say 'no'. The woman's eyes glazed over with a blue light as she stood motionless just inches from her face, her hand still resting on her shoulder. Juno shrugged it off and turned around, focusing on Neo as she battled with the two multiples. She turned back to the woman, speaking to her without words and watching as she followed her orders, running towards her friend and grabbing her by the arms. Neo let out a blood curdling scream and dropped to her knees, writhing in pain beneath the other woman's touch.

Spencer's eyes widened in fear. He crawled away, leaving the monster trapped on the ground in the middle of the street. He slunk behind a damaged car, waiting a moment before continuing his escape. He ran through a broken building, throwing up his hood to hide his face, blending in with the crowds of terrified civilians until he was gone.

The sky above them tore apart, and through the hole fell Stephen, pulling Wheeler behind him by a string of orange light. He swung him around and threw him to the ground, leaving him winded, his form glitching with exhaustion. Juno lifted him from the ground, forcing his hands by his sides to stop him from using his powers. With her other hand, she dragged the two women towards him until the three of them where piled together on top of the monster.

She took a deep breath, furrowing her brow as she bent her knees and raised her arms, sending a blast of light straight towards them. Stephen stood nearby, holding his breath as he watched a thick, black sludge begin to rise out of them. She took another breath as she focused her energy, draining the dark power as if she were extracting it from their pores.

It travelled down the streams of light, changing yellow to black as it went. With every drop she pulled from them, it got closer to her, but she couldn't stop until she was sure it was out of them completely. Stephen clenched his fists, waiting for the right moment, his eyes never leaving the veins of black as they inched closer towards her.

The four people fell in a slump and Juno's eyes widened as the dark energy soared towards her. But just before it reached her, Stephen caught it with an incantation, trapping it inside a cylinder of light. She breathed out slowly, her eyes fading back to their calm, golden hue. She turned to him and nodded, this time with a grateful smile. He nodded back.

Wanda stumbled across the rubble, mouth open, eyes wide. The concrete crumbled around Peter, setting him free as Scott sat beside him, while Rhodey watched on and Sam began to stir.

Juno glanced around at each of them. "You're welcome," she said plainly before turning around and walking with Stephen through another portal.

The rest of them remained still, stuck in place with utter bewilderment as the portal closed, leaving behind nothing but smoke and silence.

"That was freaking _awesome_!" Peter shouted.

*

There was a rumbling outside that made the artefacts rattle inside their glass display cases. Stephen stood up and walked through the sanctum, almost making it to the door before there was a pounding on the other side.

He opened it to see the Avengers' aircraft parked unceremoniously in the middle of Bleecker street. He eyed the people in front of him, the bruises and cuts, the damaged suits, grime-covered skin.

"Just let us in," Wanda sighed, too exhausted to argue.

He stepped aside and ushered them in, walking them to a living room with large, plush couches.

Wanda, Scott and Peter sank down into them, while Sam remained standing despite his swollen face.

"Where are the others?" asked Stephen.

"Bruce can barely move, Rhodey can't walk, Hope is still recovering back at HQ. So it's just us," said Wanda quietly.

"And the... other people?"

"We handed them over to a secure facility ran by ex-shield guys. They'll try to get answers out of them, run some tests."

"Good."

"Alright, cut the small talk crap," Sam interjected before stepping towards Stephen. "Where is she?"

Soft footsteps echoed behind them. They turned to see Juno standing in the archway, arms folded across her chest.

Wanda sat up straight. "I-I don't understand how this is possible. We watched her go into that machine; Bruce and I stayed behind, we saw the explosion."

"She wasn't _in_ the explosion," Stephen replied.

"Plot twist," said Juno.

"Right!?" Peter added.

Scott nudged him. "Shush."

Sam took another step closer to Stephen, his bruised jaw clenched. " _How?_ "

He sighed and began pacing back and forth. "I stopped time. I went in and I took her out before the stone was completely destroyed."

"Why would you do that?" asked Wanda.

He paused for a moment. "I... after I left her alone with you, I looked into the future. I saw-"

"What?" Sam scoffed. "You saw the two of you all cosied up living happily ever after together?"

"Actually, I saw her _save_ your asses," he snapped.

"Once again, you are welcome," Juno added as she walked into the room and sat down.

"You're a fugitive. An enemy of the state."

"She saved our lives, Sam," said Wanda.

"I didn't know when it would be," Stephen continued. "I didn't know how or why. All I saw were two possible realities; in the one where she was dead, we all died too. In the one where she was alive... well, you saw for yourself today."

"How the tables have turned," said Juno.

He swivelled around and looked down at her. "Can you stop? I'm trying to defend you here."

"So... what? You're like a crime-fighting duo now?" asked Scott. "Y'know, Ant Man and the Wasp, Doctor Strange and... The Anomaly?"

"The Anomaly," she nodded. "I like it."

"This is the first time she's seen battle in two years," said Stephen. "I refused to use her as a weapon back then and I won't now."

"Unless necessary," she added.

"Unless absolutely, unequivocally necessary."

"So you've been here this whole time?" asked Peter.

"I've been living in Kamar-Taj," she replied. "The sorcerers have been teaching me to control the influence of the stone."

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "So for the last two years we thought you were dead, when really you were off in some temple learning magic tricks?"

"Call it _anger management_ ," she replied, her tone prickly as she looked right at him.

He let out a slight laugh. "So we're just supposed to forget about everything that happened?"

"Look, I feel guilty every day about what happened. But it wasn't me, it was the stone. I've spent every day since then making sure that what happened will _never_ happen again. That's all I can do. I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life apologising for something that I wasn't in control of."

"Oh well then, if you're sorry then I guess that means you're off the hook," he replied sarcastically.

"Huh..." she stood up. "So when someone gets shot, do you blame the gun or the person who pulled the trigger?"

He didn't respond.

"I was the gun," she finished.

"Is that what you tell yourself?"

"It's one of the mantras they taught me in Kamar-Taj, when I was so overwhelmed with guilt that I could barely function. So maybe you should take it up with them. I'm sure they'd _love_ to hear you trying to unravel all the work they did to help me."

"So you're just walking around with an infinity stone in your neck and we're supposed to believe with a little meditation and positive thinking that-"

"Oh no, it's all still there. I just got _really_ good at keeping it tucked away." She took a step towards him. "I could let it out if you'd like...?"

"Alright, let's take a second to calm down," said Stephen as he raised his hands.

"I'm calm," she replied. "But if you don't mind, all of that 'saving your lives' stuff kinda took it out of me. So I'm gonna go lie down."

They watched as she left the room, their eyes slowly falling back on Stephen. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"You guys should uh... probably move your plane before you get a ticket."


	5. Five • Compass

Stephen ascended the stairs, releasing his cloak and letting it fly back to its cabinet as he walked towards his bedroom at the end of the hall. The sanctum was dark, illuminated by the dim, antique sconces lining the walls and the glow from the sunset pouring through the windows. The air was still tense with the mumbling of voices downstairs, his blood still pumping with the adrenaline of the fight and the heated conversation that followed.

He made his way down the hall and pushed open the door, taking a step back when he saw Juno standing near the bed.

"Sorry," he said, tapping his knuckles against the door. "Should've knocked first."

"It's fine. It's _your_ room." She looked down at his trembling fingers as he balled them into fists to keep them still. "Do you need me to calm your hands?"

"No, no I... I came up here to see _you."_

"Oh."

"Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine," she laughed. "I don't even think I have a scratch."

"I mean are you okay after what happened downstairs..."

She shrugged. "They think I'm a monster and it's fine. If they need me, I'll still come."

"I'm sorry. This is why I didn't want to bring you out."

"You had to. You said yourself you saw it in the future; if you hadn't sent me in there today, things could have gone a lot differently."

"That's not the only reason I saved you." He took a step forward. "I just hope you know that."

"It's okay, Stephen. I should have guessed there'd be more to it than just... wanting to keep me around."

"But I did- I mean, my main objective was always to save your life. I just needed a reason to justify it, and I found one."

"Well I'm glad you did." She gave a slight smile and sat on the edge of the bed. "Y'know, my powers turning out to be useful almost feels like the universe keeping us together."

"Yeah you could be right. After trying so hard to separate us all those years, maybe it just gave up."

She laughed.

"Anyways, sorry," he said. "I'll let you get some sleep now."

"Well I'm still on Kathmandu time and it's like 7am there so I'm actually not all that tired. I just said I was 'cause I needed an excuse to walk away from bird boy downstairs."

He dropped his head and laughed quietly. "Sam'll come around once he sees how much you've changed."

"I don't think I want him to. It's nice having someone to argue with, adds some spice." She paused, mulling over her own words. "God I've been cooped up for too long." She rolled her eyes and threw herself back on the bed.

He laughed again and turned to leave.

"Stephen..."

"Yeah?"

She sat up. "What happens now?"

He sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess it does change things now they know you're not dead; there's no reason for you to hide or to stay in Kathmandu. I mean, there are plenty of rooms here at the sanctum, I'm sure you'd be comfortable, and somewhere down the line we can discuss what this means for-"

"I was talking about the bad guys."

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Well... it's over. I'll find this 'entity' thing, get rid of it and that's that, I guess. We got 'em."

"Not all of them."

"Huh?"

"There was a guy. Their leader, I think. He got away."

His brow fell heavy over his eyes as he thought for a moment. "Well," he finally said, trying to keep his tone optimistic. "We'll deal with it."

"I appreciate you trying to sound confident, but you don't have to lie to me."

He glared at her and she held her hands up in surrender.

"Not reading your mind, I swear," she said. "I'm just susceptible to people's... auras."

"You sound like a hippy."

"Not the worst thing I've been called today."

"It'll be fine, Juno."

She nodded and the room fell quiet again. He eyed her for a moment before pivoting on his heels and making his way towards the door, only to be halted by her voice again.

"You really think that'd work?"

He turned around. "What would work?"

"Me... living here... with you?"

"Where else would you go?"

She glanced up at him, shaking her head and smiling. "Nowhere, I guess."

He sensed that his words had bothered her, and now she was the one feigning confidence, but he didn't know what to say to make it better.

"I know you said you're not tired, but try to sleep," he said. "You can stay in here."

She looked around the room and sighed. "Okay."

He nodded, finally retreating out of the room and pulling the door closed behind him.

*

There was a flower garden. A woman with long, sandy hair and green eyes crouched down tending to it as music played softly from the house behind her. The sun was beaming, warm and inviting as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting it melt softly over her freckled nose.

She turned to the little girl watching her from the back door and reached out her hand. "Come, Juno, look."

The little girl ran across the grass and stopped at her mother's side, looking down at the vibrant pinks and blues and reaching out to run her finger across the delicate petals.

"Remember when I helped you plant those seeds?" the mother said. "And you were so upset when you woke up the next morning and there was nothing there? Well look now, all of this came from those seeds."

She smiled. "Can we plant more?"

"Of course we can."

"Lemonade?" A voice called from the house.

She turned to see her father standing in the doorway with a pitcher in his hand. He had long, dark hair that fell onto his shoulders in soft curls, his kind smile hidden behind a thick beard.

The three of them sat together, her parents talking as she guzzled down her drink with her legs dangling over the edge of the metal lawn chair. She could smell the grass, the soil, feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, the taste of sweet lemon on her tongue. But suddenly, the sky began to change.

She looked up to see the crisp, bright sky turning black and cold, like spilled ink soaking into a sheet of clean, white paper. There was a sudden chill in the air, her breath leaving her lips in a visible fog as she looked to her parents. But they were gone. One by one, the flowers in the garden withered and wilted, and the ground began to open beneath her into a deep, black pit. She let out a scream, pulling her legs up into the chair and calling out for her parents, for anyone, to help.

The blackness continued to spread, drawing everything into it and growing in size until it was dragging the legs of her chair into its void.

Juno woke in a sweat, breathing heavily as she looked around the warm, quiet bedroom. But as quickly as the relief set in, the feeling of dread returned. She climbed out of bed and ran out of the room, rushing down the hall and almost colliding with Stephen's chest at the top of the stairs.

"Something's wrong," she said breathlessly.

"Yeah."

They nodded at each other and ran down the stairs, hurrying side by side until they reached a small room with walls of stone. In the middle stood a pedestal, on which sat a cube of orange light, sparking and glowing with magical symbols and incantations. Inside was the cloud of dark energy Juno had drained from the changed ones. It was moving violently, bashing against the side of the cube as if it were a wild animal trying to escape its cage.

"What the hell is it doing?" she said.

"It's trying to get out," he replied, his eyes never leaving it.

"Can it escape?" She stepped closer to it and reached out, jumping back as it thrashed violently.

"No. The spell's simple but solid."

She narrowed her eyes, watching as it forced itself into a single corner. "Turn it."

"What?"

"Turn the container around."

He lifted his hands, moving his fingers delicately and curving his wrists. The cube hovered above the pedestal and turned on its side, but the dark energy moved, pooling in the same direction as before.

"It's trying to get back to its source," he said.

"We could follow this." She turned back to him. "Use it like a compass to lead us there."

"That's... not a bad idea."

*

Morning was fading in, the sun fighting through the dark sky and creating a soft, golden glow across New York City. Their plan had worked; the thing lead them to the abandoned factory, thrashing and drawing them further inside. It was quiet, the only sound coming from the steady dripping of leaky pipes and the groaning of wind against the unsteady structure. They walked carefully through the dilapidated corridors, the glowing orange cube leading the way.

"Stephen," said Juno.

"Mhm?"

"I've been having a lot of dreams lately that I wanted to talk to you about. I think they may be memories."

"Memories of what?"

"Of my life before I went into the tear. My childhood, my parents."

"Are they good memories?"

"Yeah." She smiled slightly. "I think they were good people."

He glanced down at her as they continued to walk. "They're still out there, you know? They made that appeal for you on TV. Now that you're back you could... try and see them."

She shook her head. "I don't know about that."

"Why not?"

"Because it'd be like meeting two strangers. I don't know them."

"But they know you."

"Not anymore."

"You said you think they're good people. I'd wager a guess that they'd be able to overlook the _obvious_ changes." He nodded towards her, gesturing to her eyes.

"Maybe."

They walked further, following the dark energy around a corner and down a set of metal stairs.

"Do your parents know that you're... this?" she asked.

"Well since they're both dead..."

She closed her eyes and exhaled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"How?"

"My mom died near the end of my surgical residency, then my dad died two years later. We never really got along, me and my dad, I mean."

"Why?"

"Well things got tense between us after my sister drowned."

His tone was so nonchalant that she almost didn't believe what she'd heard. "Wait... drowned?"

"She was seventeen. I was nineteen, home on vacation from college, and we were swimming in the lake at the back of our parent's house. She swam too far out and got a cramp, panicked and went under. I tried to save her but I was too late. Nothing between my father and I was ever quite the same after that."

"Stephen..."

"It's fine," he said casually, forgetting she could sense the grief like a cloud above his head. "I became a world-renowned surgeon before the age of thirty, had more money than I ever needed, beautiful homes, cars, friends in high places, a different lover in ever country. Things turned out okay for me." He looked down at her with an arrogant smirk.

"Y'know, it's that kind of big-headedness that got your hands smushed."

"I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't been in that accident."

"Okay I guess a little arrogance is fine. But seriously, Stephen, I can't believe you never told me any of that."

"I'm not really a talker. I don't feel the need to share my personal trauma with random people."

"Excuse me, _random people_? I'm your one true love."

He gave a deep, throaty laugh. "Sorry, I forgot."

She would always make fun of their transcendent affinity. Often referring to herself jokingly as his wife, his true love, the mother of his non-existent children. At first it made him uncomfortable, stirring up the grief he felt for the life that was stolen from them. But over time, he learned to laugh, understanding that it was her way of coping with the loss of a future they never got to have.

They descended another set of stairs into the basement of the factory. It was cold, unnaturally so, like stepping out of a warm house into a snowstorm. There was an intense, menacing whispering drifting through the air, the dark energy inside Stephen's container growing stronger and more erratic with every step they took.

They stopped in front of the large, dark void, their eyes trailing the tendrils that glowed a deep purplish blue as they extended across the ceiling and floor, spreading over the walls like thick, black vines.

"Well there it is," said Juno calmly. "Do you know what it is?"

Stephen stared into the darkness as the whispering grew louder. "Mephisto," he said.

"What's that?"

"A demon who resides in a part of the dark dimension he likes to call 'hell'."

"Hell..."

"Not actual hell. Though from the things I've read, it's not much better."

"So you've never actually seen it yourself?"

"No. Believe it or not but I don't make a habit of visiting hell."

She ignored his sarcastic quip and stepped closer to the mass. "So this... Mephisto, he's opened some kind of doorway to his dimension?"

"No, from what I've learned of him he's more cunning than that." He stepped forward, bringing himself to her side again. "This is a succubus."

Her brow furrowed. "Aren't they like... demon ladies?"

He shook his head. "That's what mortals believe them to be. For centuries, religious texts have painted them as these beautiful seductresses that sleep with men to suck the life outta them."

"Sounds fun."

He rolled his eyes. " _This_ is what they really are; evil forces that infect and spread to other dimensions."

"How do you know it was Mephisto that sent it here?"

"He's done this before. Not in our lifetime, but the Ancient One told me she encountered him once."

"So that's what this thing did to those people? It infected them? Took over their bodies?"

"I guess so. It latches onto darkness, humans have plenty of that."

"I mean, that would explain why those people all had different abilities, if it gets inside them and latches onto their bad qualities."

"Not necessarily bad qualities. When Peter came to see me after the first attack on the college and the bank, he said the guy who could move matter had been bullied and ignored pretty much his entire life. He felt invisible, and then suddenly the succubus gives him the ability to make himself and others disappear too..."

"So it infects and mutates."

He nodded.

"Well do you know how to get rid of it?"

"Destroy it from the inside. Make it implode on itself."

"Okay." She backed up slightly and raised her hands, conjuring a large ball of yellow light. She extended her arms and shot it into the centre of the mass, watching as it began to churn and groan. But nothing happened.

"Well it was worth a shot," she said.

"Yeah. We're gonna need something a lot stronger than that."

"Ouch, that hurt," a cynical voice chimed from behind them.

It startled them, making them turn around quickly and arm themselves with their powers. It was Spencer, glaring at them from the shadows of the basement.

"See, the entity and I, we're _connected_. And we don't like being shot at like that."

He stepped forward and Stephen tensed his fists, making the discs of light double in size. But Juno let her arms drop slowly, her eyes fading to their usual calm, golden hue. Stephen looked over at her, a deep line of confusion in his forehead.

"You don't have an army anymore," she said. "So maybe think more carefully about your next move. Because the ideas you have circling that little head of yours right now, they're not gonna go the way you think."

"Oh you may have taken down the others, but I'm not too worried about that."

"Really? Because it kinda looks to me like you got the short end of the stick when this thing was handing out powers."

"How so?"

"Well, your friends were all so... cool," she replied with a goading smile. "You had one girl who could shoot lights out of her hands, pretty great if I do say so myself. Another who could cause pain. The big guy basically turned into anti-hulk, and the little guy could _literally_ move matter. But you... you just kinda look like a walking X-ray. Must suck."

"My power is not physical." He sneered. "This..." he gestured to the side of his face. "This is the scar, the markings of the entity. But my power lies in here." He pointed to his head. "It talks to me."

"He's the prophet," said Stephen quietly.

"The what?" she replied.

"A succubus is like an infection, remember? It needs bodies to spread. This guy was a conspiracy theorist; believed there was going to be another mass wipeout of the universe's population. When the succubus entered him, it latched onto that belief, used it to draw others in. It talks through him."

"I'm not a fan of the term 'conspiracy theorist'," said Spencer. "Prophet, though, I like."

"You're not a prophet," said Juno. "You're delusional."

"I'm also a lot stronger than you give me credit for."

"Strong people don't run away when their friends are getting their asses handed to them."

"No, but smart people do."

He grabbed a large steel pipe with his inhuman hand and ripped it from the wall, launching it at her with the speed of a bullet. Stephen widened his disc, shielding her and deflecting the blow, the pipe ricocheting and soaring back towards him. He ducked quickly before rising back to his full height and striding towards them.

Juno ignited her powers, hands glowing, eyes cast over with yellow light. She reached out her hand and pulled him through the air towards her until his throat was in her grasp.

"I told you this wouldn't go your way," she said.

Stephen turned smoothly, conjuring a long string of light and whipping it through the air like a heavy rope. The end of it wrapped around Spencer's wrist, Juno let go, allowing Stephen to drag him to his knees, holding him to the ground.

"I'm almost skeptical of how easy this was," she said casually before pointing her palms and draining the darkness out of him.

He struggled more than the others had, the thick, black sludge pouring out of his mouth as he writhed on the floor, the light draining from beneath his skin. The succubus behind them began to groan and pulsate, like it was feeling his pain, trying to resist her.

But within moments, it was over. She moved aside quickly, letting the cloud of dark energy soar past her and disappear into the void. Stephen let his rope evaporate as Juno settled her hands at her sides, breathing heavily as she looked down at the man lying still at her feet.

Her brow furrowed. She took a tentative step forward and crouched beside him, her confusion quickly turning to horror as her eyes trailed his lifeless face.

"Stephen," she said, so quietly it was almost inaudible.

He joined her quickly, placing two fingers on the side of Spencer's neck. He looked up at her, his blue eyes glistening sympathetically, telling her what she already feared to be true.

"I don't understand," she said. "The others didn't..."

"He was bonded to it more than they were," he replied. "It became his life source."

"I didn't mean for him to die," she said softly.

"It was an accident, Juno."

She stood up, her voice breaking as she spoke. "I don't kill people anymore. This isn't... this isn't what I am."

"Hey..." He rose to his feet, taking her face in his hands and staring into her eyes. "Don't do this to yourself. You did what had to be done."

She stayed quiet for a while, her eyes watering as she stared back at him.

"Wh-what do we do with him?" she finally said.

"I'll take care of it."

"What about _that_ thing?" she nodded her head towards the succubus.

"For now, I'll put a protection spell around this place, stop anyone getting in until we find a way to destroy it."

"Okay," she whispered, her eyes flitting towards Spencer's body.

Stephen turned her head back to him. "He was dangerous, Juno, too far gone. What you just did, as awful as you may feel about it, has saved a lot of innocent people."

She nodded reluctantly, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as the feeling of his thumb stroking her cheek began to calm her down.

The deep, black entity hissed and churned behind them, but he never let go of her face, keeping her eyes locked on him until he was sure she was okay.


	6. Six • Synergy

The Avengers stood in the HQ watching a large, transparant screen that hung from the ceiling. On it was live footage of the former change ones, each person trapped inside their own small white cell, some pacing, others sitting on the floor with their heads stooped. They looked tired, worn and weak, a far cry from the powerful tyrants that had wreaked havoc on New York City just a day before.

"The guys at the facility wanna know what we think they should do with them," said Rhodey as he stared up at the grainy footage.

Scott thought for a moment. "Well they don't have powers anymore so..."

"Doesn't mean they're not still _evil,"_ Hope interjected.

She was wearing her sweats, hair tied back, deep shadows under her eyes. She stepped closer to the screen, bringing herself face to face with the woman who had tortured her with a single touch.

"They shouldn't walk free from this."

"I agree, I say we keep them locked up," said Rhodey. "Plus we might need them to help us find this... entity thing."

"You think they'll tell us anything?" asked Sam.

"Maybe... with the right _persuasion_."

"That won't be necessary," a voice came from behind them.

They turned around to see Stephen and Juno standing in the doorway.

"Sorry for dropping in like this," said Stephen.

"Portals," Juno added. "Super handy, kinda intrusive."

"What do you mean it won't be necessary?" asked Sam.

"We know where the entity is," Stephen replied. "And we know _what_ it is."

He told them about Mephisto, about the succubus and Spencer's accidental death. The others could see the grief on Juno's face as he explained how it happened, the way she dipped her head and wandered towards the screen, watching the people she had helped capture and eyeing them carefully, almost relieved to see they were okay. They were imprisoned, but they were alive, and they wouldn't be able to harm anyone else.

"So how do we get rid of this thing?" asked Sam.

"That's actually why we're here," replied Stephen. "The only way to destroy a succubus is to attack it from the inside, make it implode on itself. Usually I'd be able to do it alone, but this one's been growing for too long; it's too big, too powerful."

"Destroy it from the inside." Scott thought for a moment. "So we could like... send in a bomb?"

"Kind of," said Juno.

They all looked at her, and one by one the dots began to connect.

"You're going inside that thing?" asked Bruce as he sat at the back of the room, still weak and recovering from the attack.

She nodded. "I think I can destroy it. But I need help."

"What do you need us to do?"

"Not you guys, just her." Her eyes flitted to Wanda.

"Why not us?" asked Scott.

"Because I can't make a blast strong enough by myself, and let's face it, she's the most powerful avenger by a landslide."

The rest of them grumbled quietly, almost offended.

"And her powers are connected to the mind stone." She turned to Wanda. "That's why you can feel it, why we can feel _each other_ , it's why you're able to destroy it." She paused, glancing over at Stephen for reassurance. "I think there might be a way for you to amplify _my_ powers."

Wanda furrowed her brow, as if she could predict Juno's words before they had even formed on her tongue. "You want me to charge you up?" she almost laughed. "Jump start you like a car battery? It's ridiculous."

"Completely ridiculous. But I think it could work..."

"Juno, I don't think you realise how dangerous my powers are."

"I know it's risky. But I really feel like this'll work... we've done it before." She took a step closer. "That day when you guys captured me and put me in that machine, you shot a beam of light right into the stone. If you wanted to kill me, you could've done it right there in the street. But you were able to control how much energy you used. And right before I blacked out, I felt my powers intensify. I know you felt it too."

"This is insane."

"If it was insane would _he_ be agreeing with me?" She gestured to Stephen.

"I don't like the idea," he said. "But I figured if you can do it, I could put a protection spell around her before she goes into the succubus. You can charge her from the outside."

Wanda hesitated, shifting on her feet and crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright," she finally said. "Alright let's- let's try it."

Juno smiled with relief, straightening her posture and taking a deep breath.

"You should probably take this outside..." said Rhodey.

*

It was mid afternoon, a soft, warm breeze brushing through the luscious grass and thick trees that bordered the perimeter of the HQ. Juno and Wanda walked out into the middle of the open grounds.

"Okay," said Juno. "Ready?"

"Ready." Wanda nodded.

"Try not to kill me."

"No promises."

They turned their backs on each other and began to walk in opposite directions, like two gunmen preparing for a duel, until finally they stopped. Wanda turned around, staring across the space between them, at the stone glowing on the back of her neck.

She looked down at Juno's hands, at the swirls of golden matter beginning to form around her fingers; the signal that she was ready. She raised her arm and pointed her hand at the stone, letting a cloud of scarlet energy pour from her palm.

The rest of the group stood inside, watching anxiously through the tall windows as a stream of light left Wanda's hand and sent Juno flying through the air. Stephen gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to run and help her.

"Oof, that had to hurt," said Scott.

Juno clambered to her feet, sucking in a deep breath of air and shaking off the pain that was radiating down her spine.

"Are you okay?" Wanda shouted.

"I'm good, I'm fine," she insisted. "Let's go again. Maybe bring it down a notch or two?"

"You think?" she replied sarcastically as she bent her knees and prepared to fire again.

Juno braced herself, igniting her powers and letting them coarse through her body, ignoring the burning beneath her skin and fighting against the pain, just like Wanda had taught her.

She felt the beam connect with the stone, planting her feet firmly in the ground and resisting its force. Her eyes glazed over with yellow light, her power climbing up from her hands to her arms until it was everywhere. She groaned in pain, willing herself to stay focused, but she was slipping.

"Is it working?" asked Rhodey from inside the HQ.

"No," said Stephen, his eyes never leaving the two women.

They watched as Wanda let her arm fall to her side, and moments later, Juno collapsed in the grass.

*

She was standing at the end of a long corridor, a beam of sunlight filtering through the window behind her. Her heels clacked against the shiny wooden floors as she began to walk, eyeing the rows of doors either side of her as she passed them. She stopped halfway down the corridor, turning slowly and narrowing her eyes at the small metal plaque on one of the doors.

_Juno Wolfe_

She ran her fingers over each letter, realising she had never seen her name written down before; it made her feel more real, somehow, to see her name forged in metal. She reached for the door handle and opened it, stepping into a bright, modern office with tall windows that looked out over the city.

She wandered around the room, running her hands over the pictures that hung on the walls, the cushions on the couch, the books that lined the shelves. In the middle of the room stood a large white desk. She sat down and slid open the drawers curiously, her brow furrowing as she began looking over the papers and folders inside.

"Juno."

She looked over her shoulder to see Stephen standing in the doorway. He was wearing his sorcerers robes, his cloak cascading from his shoulders, eyes as blue as the sky outside.

"Juno," he said again.

"What are you doing here dressed like that?" she asked. "Someone will see you."

"Juno, can you hear me?"

"What do you mean can I hear you? I just talked to y-"

"Wake up."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What?"

Suddenly, the room plummeted into darkness, as if the sun had been stolen from the sky. She looked around as everything around her began to disappear into the shadows, leaving her alone in the middle of a cold, empty void.

"She's coming around, I can feel it," said Wanda as she crouched beside Juno in the grass.

Stephen was knelt at her other side as he continued trying to wake her. He reached down and tapped her cheek gently, his breath catching in his throat when her hand came up and gripped his wrist tightly.

Her eyes opened and she looked around, bewildered to find herself in the same spot on the HQ grounds, Stephen and the Avengers crowded around her with concern. She loosened her grip on him and let her arm fall to her side.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay." He laughed.

She glanced at Wanda and sighed. "We almost had it."

"Yeah, almost," she replied.

"Let's try again."

"Maybe later," said Stephen.

He let his cloak float down and slip under her, gently lifting her from the ground like a hospital stretcher.

"I'm fine, I really just wanna keep going," she said.

The cloak tilted her upright onto her feet, as if it had understood her and agreed to put her down. It returned to Stephen and settled on his shoulders as he turned his head, speaking directly to it.

"Since when do you listen to _her_?"

It moved slightly in response, almost shrugging.

"I really think we should wait," said Wanda.

"We can't. The longer we wait, the bigger this thing grows and the harder it'll be to destroy. I can do this- _we_ can do this."

She sighed, finally giving in with a slight nod and stepping back slowly. "You guys should go back inside."

Everyone walked away, leaving the two women alone again. Juno turned her back, taking a deep, shaking breath. She wiggled her fingers, letting the light spread as she dug her heals into the ground.

Wanda clenched her fists, staring intensely into the stone that had made her what she was, the stone that had somehow given her everything and taken it away all at once. The first two times she tried Juno's plan, she had been filled with the same fear, grief and anger that would overcome her whenever she was in the presence of the Mind Stone. But now, as she stood across the open landscape, watching the glow radiating around Juno's hands, she finally let herself give in to their synergy. She raised her hand and sent a blast through the air, pouring her deep red power into the back of Juno's neck.

Just as before, Juno's eyes began to glow, the energy expanding into a ball of intense, golden light that shone like pure sunlight. She felt her limbs turn rigid, her head falling back as her mouth fell open. She had never felt so powerful, like there was pure electricity coursing through her veins.

"Something's happening," said Sam as they observed from the safety of the HQ.

There was a rumbling, the ground shuddering, windows rattling in their panes. Then suddenly, there was a blinding light that sent a shockwave through the air. They covered their eyes, crouching down and shielding themselves from the blow. But after a moment, there was quiet.

Stephen was the first to look up, his eyes widening in awe as he laid eyes on the sight before him. She was like an exploding star; her light rippling through the air, so bright he couldn't look straight at her. Swirling veins of yellow energy spilled from her body as Wanda continued to direct a steady stream into the stone.

Another strong blast rippled through the air, making the earth beneath them shudder and the trees rustle around the perimeter, sending flocks of birds scattering from the safety of the leaves. Car alarms began to screech from the garages nearby as the lights inside the HQ flickered violently, the windows cracking as they tried to resist the pressure.

The blast sent Wanda flying backwards through the air, making her lose connection with the stone. She landed amongst the trees, her back skidding through the dirt before stopping with a hard thud against a stump. She stood up, her knees almost buckling with exhaustion as she stared in wonderment through the vast, empty space between them, watching as the light slowly began to fade.

Juno turned around, staring down at herself in amazement before lifting her head and smiling.

"It worked," she said, too far away for Wanda to hear.

"It worked," said Wanda breathlessly.

*

Night was falling over the old factory, the wind whistling through the cracks in the foundation, metal creaking, water splashing from broken pipes. It was dark and eerie, even without the sinister, otherworldly force, it was still completely uninviting.

Stephen and Juno sat in the basement at the bottom of the concrete steps, waiting for the others to arrive. There was a spell surrounding the succubus like a cage, but its hissing was still loud enough to hear, like the white noise of a rainstorm trying to draw them into the cold.

Juno rested her elbows on her lap, looking over at the spot where Spencer's body had lay that very morning. She wanted to ask what he'd done with it, but she didn't. Instead she looked up at him and cleared her throat.

"You know, when I was out cold back there, I had another dream."

"Your parents again?"

She shook her head. "I was at my _job_."

"Your job?"

"Mhm. Get this... I was an architect."

"You're kidding?" He almost laughed.

"Nope." She smiled. "There were plans all over the office, little models of buildings and a huge drawer full of sketches."

"Are you sure it was your-"

"My name was on the door."

"Hm." He thought for a moment, a slight glimmer of amusement on his face. "I never thought you'd choose such a... technical career."

"Why?"

"I just can't picture you behind a desk. Y'know, working on a computer, ordering around an assistant, wearing a _power suit._ " His voice broke with a laugh.

She elbowed him.

"I just always imagined you doing something more physical," he said. "Like a sculptor or a painter or a gardener..."

"You don't think I could be a professional lady?"

He laughed again. "I just mean you're... _good_ with your hands."

They glanced at each other quietly, intensely, before Juno looked down at her hand and conjured a soft ball of light in her palm.

"I'm also deadly," she said, returning her gaze to him. "So you should watch your back."

The beginnings of a smirk began to curl at the corners of his mouth, but a loud noise above them stole his attention away.

"They're here," he said. "Are you sure about this?"

"Are _you_?"

"No."

"Cool. Me neither."

*

She stood in front of the succubus, staring into the vast absence of light and wondering what lay beyond it. She wondered if it would be cold, if there were creatures residing inside, if Stephen's spell would fail and she would find herself trapped, a prisoner of darkness for the rest of her life.

Bruce had brought her a suit to wear - one of Tony's many experimental creations that had sat untouched inside a cabinet in the Stark's home since his death. It was unfinished, with facets of black and gold nanoparticles clustering together to reveal gaps of thin, sheer fabric that moulded to her body like a second skin. She had never worn a super suit before, proving she was no less powerful in a dress or a shirt than any of the elaborate armour she had gone up against. But she was thankful for it, feeling a little less vulnerable, somehow.

"The blow will be powerful," said Stephen to the group. "I have sorcerers lined around the building to hold back the explosion. You guys should go and help too."

They all nodded and began to walk out, leaving Stephen, Wanda and Juno alone inside.

He stepped towards Juno, leaning down to speak to her quietly. "If anything feels wrong, you _swear_ to me that you'll-"

"I'll come back out," she reassured him.

He gave her a stern look.

"I promise," she said.

"Okay," he sighed as he took a few steps back.

Wanda watched as he moved his hands intricately, surrounding Juno in a forcefield of orange light that slowly melted over her body and disappeared beneath her skin. He conjured a long rope that sparked and shimmered through the darkness, swinging it around and wrapping it around her waist like a tether.

He looked over to Wanda. "Are you ready?"

She rolled her shoulders and steadied her stance. "Just say when..."

Juno glanced back at them and nodded before taking a deep breath and lighting her hands. "Now."

Wanda forced her energy into the stone, keeping her stream steady, eyes focused. Juno felt the electricity rippling through her, her powers expanding as she began walking into the void.

It was just as cold as she had imagined, and she could feel the pressure of darkness trying to engulf her, surrounding her like a wave and deflecting off Stephen's magic. Her feet were wading through thick, black sludge, and the darkness above her was scattered with thin, bluish purple strands of light connecting to each other like synapses. It was almost beautiful, she thought, or at least it could have been.

Her bright, golden light began to swell, the succubus hissing and groaning as if it were alive, as if it could feel pain. Wanda lifted her other hand, directing two strong beams into the stone as Stephen held tightly to the tether, ready to pull her out.

Juno's spine stiffened as light poured from her eyes and flowed out of her hands, swirling around her like a cloud and travelling to the darkest depths of the void. She raised her arms and gave in to her power, to the synergy between herself and Wanda, until finally, she exploded, like a firework in a pitch black sky.

For a moment, there was quiet. An eerie, thick silence that made hearts stop in the chests of everyone waiting outside. But quickly, the rumbling came; the ground shuddering, rubble shaking as cracks began to form in the earth.

Rhodey, Scott and Hope flipped up their helmets while Sam held up his shield. Peter braced himself and Bruce clenched his fists, ignoring the twinge of pain that still ran through his bones. Around them, the sorcerers moved in unison, creating large square shields, like a wall of magic around the building.

And then the shockwave came.

Inside the basement, Stephen conjured a disc and held it up above his head, widening it just in time to shield Wanda from the falling concrete. The succubus began to deteriorate. With his other hand, he pulled on the tether, dragging Juno from inside moments before it finally imploded.

"We need to get out of here!" Wanda shouted before igniting her powers and soaring through the air.

Stephen grabbed Juno by the shoulders. "Are you alright!?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing his cloak to lift them from the ground and follow Wanda to safety.

Sam ran up to them as they landed. "How long can they hold this back?" He was breathless, panicked. "One slip and everything within five miles of this place'll be blown to smithereens."

Stephen stared over at the sorcerers as they held back the shockwave. Their knees were bent, jaws clenched as they contained it inside their sparkling square barricades. But it was strong, and they were struggling to keep it under control.

He took a sharp intake of breath and approached it, releasing the time stone from the eye around his neck as he walked. A string of green light wrapped around his wrist and he began to move his hand like he was turning a dial.

Everyone watched on in awe as the shockwave seemed to retreat, the building sucking it back in and folding in on itself until it was nothing more than a large heap of rock floating in the middle of the open grounds.

Juno walked up behind him and shot a large blast of energy at it, shattering it into dust. And just like that, everything was quiet again, the cold air breathing a sigh of relief as the particles floated up into the night sky.


End file.
